Rotary discharge chute



G. E. WEBB ROTARY DISCHARGE GHUTE Feb. 12, 1929.

Filed March 15, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet gwuentoo 6- 1 Webb arm we 1 Feb. 12, 1929.

' Filed March l5 1928 G. E. WEBB ROTARY DISCHARGE CHUTE Sheets -'-Sheet 2 fjwueniiov Feb. 12, 1929, 1,702,224

G. E. WEBB ROTARY DI SQHARGE CHUTE Filed March 15, 1928 5 Sheets-Shae; 3

Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE EVANS WEBB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR E 0 KOEHR-ING COM- PANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, it CORPORATION.

ROTARY DISCHARGE CHUTE. I

Application filed March 15, 1928. Serial No. 261,758.

The purpose of this invention has been to devise certain automatically or manually controllable chute mechanism designed for use in conjunction withconcrete mixing machines of the type involving a rotary drum. Such machines ordinarily employ a discharge chute for discharging the contents of the mixing'drum after proper admixture of concrete aggregates therein.

'The invention resides primarily in a novel mounting for the chute itself; certain novel operating devices associated with the chute; and a general chute, assembly unit structure which is new and has especial advantages from a practical viewpoint by reason of the facility with which the chute may be caused to turn by the operation of the rotating drum of the mixer, without the employment of special operating power means for the purpose, as is usual. 1

According to the invention, I utilize arot-ative chute, the mounting means for which includes a ring-like member adapted to re.

volve between a series of anti-friction rollers, together with spring means normally holding the ring-like member out of engagement with the drum, but adapted to be readily frictionally connected witn the latter to cause the turning of the said'member and the chute means which is mounted thereon.

The foregoing, with other detail features of construction, are fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of a mixing drum of a concrete mixing machine having discharge chute mechanism and controlling devices embodying the present invention. Certain portions of the framework of the machine are shown in section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing lar; .ly the same parts as illustrated in Figwhenit turning to move a half'revolution under the control of the regular stop means automatically cooperative therewith.

Flgure 4 1s a sectional view showing more clearly in side elevation, the mounting means for the ring-like or circular bearlng member carrymg the chute.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View showing more fully, the limiting means for controlling the outward movement of the chute assembly unit.

Figure 7 1s a detail vlew, illustrating more particularly the operating connection of the main control lever with thebatchmeter and certain loclnng devlces assoclated with said lever.

' FigureS is a detailed perspective-view'of one of the pivot brackets supporting the chute assembly unit upon the frame of the machine.

Figure 9 is a detailed perspective view broken away, illustrating more fully the actuating arm and cooperating cam by which the friction means intermediate the chute assembly unit and the drum are normally maintainedinoperative.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 primarily, the mixing drum shown is designated 1 and is of the usual gear driven type provided at its discharge end or head with a suitable discharge opening surrounding which is a drip flange or ring 2. T he drum will be mounted on a suitable frame 3, comprising channels of H any substantial type, properly fabricated as customary. Upon the spaced parts of the frame 3 are mounted suitable pivot brackets l, seen best in Figure 8, adjustably held for horizontal adjustment by bolts 5, the pivot arms of the said brackets extending in opposite directions and carrying the levers 6 fulcrumed between their ends, as shown at 7', to the'trunnions l of said brackets 4:. The

brackets have flanges 4: equipped with set screws 8 for limiting relative outward movement, of the brackets upon the channels of the frame 8. The levers 6 haveattached to their upper ends, fiat springs 9 which springs extend a distance upwards, sufiiciently to lie in the plane of and opposite roller cams 10, seen best in Figure l of the drawings. The cams 10 are carried by a horizontal shaft 11 mounted in suitable hearings on the frame 3 and by turning the shaft 11, the roller-cams 10 are susceptible of rocking to thereby impart similar movement through the springs 9 to the levers 6.

The parts just referred to are control parts for controlling the movement of a chute unit associated with the discharge opening of the drum 1, said unit including a discdike member 12, the outer peripheral portion of which is formed with a rib 12 received in the grooves of a series at bearing rollers 13 which are carried upon suitable axes in a ring-like or circular bearing member lt. The bearing member 14 is provided at its lower opposite portions with outstanding lugs 15 having pivotal connection at 18 with the lower ends of the levers 6 of which there are two also, previously described as carried by the brackets 4'.- The disc-like member 12 may be termed a closure member for the discharge opening of the drum 1 because it partly closes said discharge under all conditions though it has an opening through which the discharge takes place. Said disc-like member also carries the discharge chute 16 which includes the impact vanes 16 adapted to receive the gravitative impact oi. the aggregates lifted and dropped within the drum 1 by its rotation. The said impact tends to assist the chute 16 to revolve, but this feature forms no part of the present invention.

Between the drip flange or ring 2 of the drum outlet and the disc-like closure member 12, there is provided a friction ring 17. This friction ring may be a. hardened metal rib or it may be a ring-like wear resisting fabric body but its purpose is to establish a proper friction between the member 12and the portion 2 of the drum 1 suilicient to enable the rotative movement of the drum to be imparted to the member 12 and the parts supported thereby, including the chute 16, and thus turn the chute 16 from its discharging position shown in Figure 2 to a reversed downwardly inclined position in which discharging is prevented. A half revolution movement is sutlicient to turn the chute from one position to the other.

The shaft 11 which carries the roller cams 10 is controlled by a main control lever 19, see Figures 1 and. 7', said lever having a handle 20 at its lower end for the manual control thereof, and having a connection 21 at its upper end, whereby it may be operated or controlled from a batchmeter 22. A batchmeter is a known device for tripping a signal or actuating a discharge chute after a certain lapsed time required fora mining operation in a concrete mixing machine. The shaft 11 has connected with. an arm 22 fixed thereon, a coiled spring 23 by which the shaft may be rocked to raise the arm 22. The shaft 11 normally is loclred from rotation under the influence of the spring 23 by a lock arm 24 projecting therefromfsee Figure 7, and be ing engaged by a notch 25 in the main control lever 19. Under these conditions, the shaft- 11 has a cam 26 fixed thereto at its middle portion and engaging a pivoted stop arm 27 secured to the bearing member 1.4 at its upper end portion, see Figiiires 3 and 9 especially. As shown in Figures 2 and 1, the lower portion of the arm 27 hs an adjustable screw 2'? :t'or establishing engaging contact with the lneu'ibcr 1a, the latter having. a pair of lugs 23 between which the arm 27 is pivoted.

Normally, while stationary, the chute assembly unit including the closure member 12 is locked by a latch 29 pivoted to the member 14 at 30 and having a trip roller 31 at the end opposite its nose 32. The nose 32 is yieldably mounted on the latch body by a stem and a spring, the latter designated 33. The latch 29 is adapted to cooperate normally with one of either two abutments 34: attached to the member 12, the abutments being preferably carried by plates formed with cams 35 cooperative with. the roller 31. A linlr 36 connects the latch nose 29 at its nose 32 with an arm 37 fixed to the shaft 11.

With theabove construction of the parts understood, the operation of my machine is as follows. The closure member 12 disconnected from the rotating mixing drum to which it is normally rotating. It is assumed the drum has mixed the aggregates suiiiciently long and properly, and the batchmeter 22 is set off. Thereby, the control lever 19 is tripped to rock it to disengage its notch 25 from the loclr arm 21 of the shaft 11. The spring 23 roclrs the shaft 11 and causes the cam rollers 10 to push out the up per ends of the springs 9 and rock the levers 6 so that the lower ends of the levers move inwards and carry the floating chute assembly unit 1216 inwards by rocking movement; until the friction part 1'? engages the drum drip ring 2, whereupon the chute assembly unit starts to rotate by the driving action of the drum 1. This is pern'iitted because when the shaft 11 was rocked, the latch 32 was raised out of engagement from the then operative abutment 34L releasing the parts 12 and 16 'for free rotation. At the same time, the trip roller 31 was lowered into the path of the lowermost cam'35 which is progressing upwardly.

When the chute assembly unit 12-16 has made a half revolution, the previously lower cam 35 passes the latch nose 32 and strikes the trip roller 31. This action rocks the latch 29, pulling downward upon the line 36, and restoring the shaft 11 to a position where the lock arm 24 is re-engagcd with the notch 25 of the main control lever. At the same time, the cam 26 is caused to rock into engagement with the pressurearm 27 upon the supporting member 14 and acts to carry this supporting member and the chute assembly unit positively away from the drum 1 to discontinue part of the frame 3. Asseen in Figure 2, the supporting member 14: h'asat itslower porthe drive from the drum. Of course, when either abutment 34 hits the nose 32 of the latch 29, the nose yields under the action of the spring 33. By the above means, it'will be upon the supporting member 14, these rollers forming what might be called a three-point suspension or hearing for the chute assembly unit 1216.

Obviously, the main control lever may be operated by its handle to be moved to the right, see Figure 7, and thus release the shaft .11 and cause the disengaging of the latch 29 from the abutment 34, at the same time causing cooperation of the roller cams 10 with the springs 9 to clutch the disc or closure member 12 to the drum at the parts 17.

The lever 20 has a notched sector arm 39, passing through a plate 40, see Figure 7 and on the plate 40 is mounted a lock lever 41 having an extension 42 to enter azselected notch of the arm39, and lock the lever 20 against unauthorized operation. The shaft 11 carries' a stop arm 43- that prevents too great rotative movement of said shaft, by engaging a tion, downstanding abutmentarms 14 to engage the frameparts .3 to limit the movement of the supporting member 14 and its supported chute assembly unit. away from the drum. The elements 3* and 14 along with the cam. 26 and arm 27,-:for1n a three-point abutting stopffor the relaxed and arrested rotative assembly. I Having thus described my invention, what I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent of the United States is 2 1. In a mixing machine, a rotative drum,

a rotative chute assembly unit controlling an openlng in said drum, an anti-friction-bearmg support for said chute assembly unit, and

- means for movingsaid support toward and from the drum to cause the drum to drive the;

said chute assembly unit.

2. A machine as set forth in claim. 1, wherein the movmgmeans comprises a yielding device attached to the anti-friction bearing suport. p 3. A machine substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the moving means comprises a part for positively moving the anti-friction bearing support away from the drum to brake the friction clutch connection adapted to be established with the latter.

' 4. In a concrete mixing machine, a rotating drum having an opening in a head thereof, a chute assembly unit mounted in said opening and comprising a chute and a rotative closure part for the opening, means exterior to the drum for supporting thechute assembly unit and including a supporting bearing member equippedwith a bearing in which the closure member of the chute assembly unit is .mounted, and means for moving the said sup-- porting member toward and from the drum to establish operative connection between the closure member and the drum itself.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4: including operating springs for yieldably actuating the supporting bearing member to cause its cooperation with the drum.

6. A machine substantially as claimed in claim 4, combined with an operating shaft, cam means on said shaft for engaging the said springs, connections between the springs and the supporting bearing member, and

means for positively moving the supporting bearingmember away from the drum when the spring means'are released to release the connection between the drum and thechute assembly ,unit. a

7. In a mixing machine, in combination, a rotating drumhaving an opening in an end thereof, a chute assembly unit controlling said opening including a closure member, a

chute carried thereby, means exterior to the drum for supporting said closure member and chute unit and including a yieldably mounted floating supporting member on which the chute assembly unit is adapted to rotate.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 7 combined with a pair of pivoted levers carrying the supporting member in the floating manner stated, springs connected with saidlevers for yieldably actingthereon to causeyielding engaging cooperation between the closure member and the drum to establish a clutch connection, and, means for operating the springs.

,9. In a mixing machine, in combination, a rotating drum having an opening, a chute assembly unit controlling said opening and including a chute and a closure member fort-he opening rotative at the opening, a supporting bearing member for the rotative chute as-' sembly unit, a yielding mounting for said supporting bearing member and actuating means for the yielding parts adapted to'shift the bearing member to cause engagement of the closure member with the drum so that the drive of the drum may be communicative to the latter.

10. In a mixing machine, in combination, a

rotating mixing drum having an opening, a

it to rotate with the, drum as a unit, means normally maintaining said clutch part inactive, means for causing the clutch part to become operative, and automatic meansfor dis continuing the cooperation. of the clutch part with the drum, v j

'11. A machine substantially as claimed in claim 10 wherein the last means recited comprises a latch normally coacting with the clutch part for preventing it from turning with the drum to thereby turn the chute, an automatic device for disengaging said latch, and an autoi'natic device re engaging said latch.

12. A machine substantially as claimed in claim 10 wherein the last means recited comprises a latch normally coacting with the clutch part for preventing it from turning with the drum to thereby turn the chute, means for disengaging the latch, and automatic means for re-engaging the latch.

13. A machine substantially as claimed in claim 10 wherein the last means recited comprises a latch normally coacting with the clutch part for preventing it from turning with the drum to thereby turn the chute, n'ieans for disengaging the latch, and automatic means for re-engaging the latch, the means for disengagingthelatch comprising an automatically tripped shaft connected with the latch, a device on the latch placed in operative position to be tripped by the tripping of said chute which releases the clutch part from the latch, and a cam cooperating with the last mentioned device to restore the latch to enmounted, means to shift said bearing for causing clutch coaction between the closure member and the drum for driving the chute from the drum, and control means for said clutch coaction including abutments on the bearing, a latch adapted to engage an abutment to hold the bearing stationary, trip means for said latch to disengage it, and means set into operative position by said trip means to cause reengagement of the latch with the abutment means.

15. A machine as setforth in claim 14, wherein the abutment devices are plural in number so that partial revolution movements of the chute are controlled thereby.

16. in a mixing machine, in combination, a rotating drum having an opening in an end thereof, a chute assembly unit controlling said opening, and including a closure memher, a chute carried thereby, means exterior of the drum for supporting said closure memher and chute unit, and including a yieldably mounted, floating, supporting member, on which the chute assembly unit is adapted to rotate, a pair of pivoted levers carrying the supporting member in the floating manner set forth, springs connected with said levers for yieldably acting thereon to cause yielding engaging cooperation between the closure member and the drum to establish a clutch connection, an operating shaft, cam means on the shaft for actuating the springs to cause the floating movement of the chute assembly unit necessary to clutch it to the drum, and means on said shaft for moving the assembly unit positively away from the drum when the clutch connection aforesaid is to be re leased.

17. In a mixing machine, in combination, a rotating drum having an opening in an end thereof, chute assembly unit controlling said opening, and including a closure member, a chute carried thereby, means exterior of the drum for supporting said closure member and chute unit, and including a yieldably mounted, floating, supporting member, on which the chute assembly unit is adapted to rotate, a pair of pivoted levers carrying the supporting member in the floating manner set forth, springs connected with said levers for yieldably acting thereon to cause yielding engaging cooperation between the closure member and the drum to establish a clutch connection, an operating shaft co-acting with the springs to control the movement of the supporting member for the chute assembly unit, and a manually controlled device for operating said shaft.

18. In a concrete mixing machine, in combination, a rotary mixing drum having an opening. a chute associated with the drum to control the passmg of the contents thereof,

means for supporting the chute in a floating manner, such that it may move into frictional contact with the drum to be driven by the power of the rotation of the latter, and means for discontinuing the rotation of the chute by the drum at will. i

19. In a concrete mixing machine, in combination, a rotary mixing drum'having an opening, a chute assoclated with the drum to control the'passing of the contents thereof, means for supporting the chute in a floating manner, such that it may move into frictional contact with the drum to be driven by the power of the rotation of the latter, and means for automatically discontinuing the rotation of the chute by the drum after the chute moved a' predetermined extent.

20. In a concrete mixing machine, in combination, a rotating drum having an open.

ing in the side thereof, a normally inclined chute mounted in said opening to control the passage of the contents of the drum, a member attached to said chute adapted for frictional engagement with the drum at the opening, a floating mounting for thechute and said member, and means for controlling engagement of the member attached to the chute with the drum, and disengagement thereof, to thereby transmit and discontinue the application of the moving force of the drum to the chute for positioning the latter in different positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE EVANS WEBB. 

